When the Fukushima accident occurred on March 11, 2011, Japan had 50+ nuclear power reactors which provided about 30 per cent of the country’s electricity. The World Nuclear Association (WNA) noted that this was expected to increase to at least 40 per cent by 2017. The devastating accident changed all that. Japan shut down all its reactors.

As on December 2015, Japan has 43 operable reactors with potential to restart; twenty-three of them have started the process to restart approvals. The first two restarted in August 2015 (Sandai 1) and October 2015(Sandai 2).

While Japan observes the fifth anniversary of the nuclear accident, there is slow and steady progress in examining whether some…